The Conference of African Editors in Johannesburg earlier this month was a welcome sign that we who live in this continent are closer to each other than we think...
DR JACQUES HABIB SY is a Senior Program Specialist in Information Science with the International Development Research Centre in Nairobi. He was speaking about corruption and had delivered a well-received analysis of the history and nature of the problem.
Now it was question time. The prepared speeches were put aside. Discussion was led from the floor, and one journalist asked Dr. Sy to spell out the causes of corruption in laymens' language.
"Well," said Dr. Sy with a twinkle in his eye, "the problem is that African women are very materialistic. They have a fondness for nice clothes and expensive jewellery and so their poor husbands are forced to resort to whatever means are available to supplement their income. So you have corruption."
A low rumble had begun to emerge from the audience as he spoke, and the chairperson, Pat Made, the elegant and articulate Managing Editor of Harare's Southern African Economist, waved a hand to silence the crowd.
"Let him have his say," she said with a chuckle. "We'll lynch him afterwards." The house burst out laughing.
Conferencing, African style. Parktown's Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza had suddenly been transported into a different world from that of the dark business suits who normally frequent its corridors.
Culture shock for even the SABC TV crew member who seeing me decked out in my kurta had stopped me to ask whether I was from Nairobi. "Tekweni," I replied. She turned red and fled.
Flowing robes and stunningly bright colours, open arms and warm smiles provided a camouflage for sharp minds and smouldering passion for freedom of information.
Minds like Dr Doyin Abiola, Managing Director and Editor-in-chief of Lagos's Concord Press, who also happens to be the wife of Nigeria's imprisoned elected leader. Or like Professor Ali Mazrui, Director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies from the State University of New York.
"I'm not going to let you get away with this, Habib," cut in Elizabeth Ohene of BBC's Africa Service, who has one of the best known voices on the continent. "It's men who are materialistic. Women sit at home and cook your food and do your laundry and all you know how to do is make babies!"
Dele Olojede, Nigerian born and Columbia educated African correspondent for New York's Newsday ventured in his lazy drawl that a friend of his had a theory as to why Africa was corrupt.
"He calls it prebendalism," said Olojede, referring to the stipend that gets paid to a clergyman by a church.
"In Africa, when you assume public office or other positions of power, there is an assumption on the part of the people from your community or from your neighbourhood that you are expected to assign a higher value to their requirements than anyone else's," said Olojede.
"So it doesn't matter whose bid is the most cost-effective. If you don't award the job to the person from your community, you will be ostracised when you need to once again be part of that community when your term of office ends."
Another voice from the floor interrupted. "Most of us have families like that."
The conference was not all buffoonery.
Dr. Sy's keynote address painted a damning picture of a continent systematically plundered by its leaders.
South Africa's Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs, Abdul Minty, fielded questions on foreign policy with a degree of competence and non-defensive honesty that was quite reassuring.
But more than speeches and analyses, there was a tangible sense of camaraderie built around common belief in the need for a vibrant, free, and independent press, functioning as what Dr Abiola called "the last bastion of hope".
From a continent that is frequently chided for its inability to nurture democracy, Africa's journalists cherish the democratic ideal with a passion that is sorely lacking in our First World colleagues.
I also had a touch of sadness at facing yet another reminder that while the rest of South Africa is racing ahead to meet the new challenges of being part of the world community, Durban continues to be isolated.